Former NASCAR driver Richard Childress shot at three masked gunmen who attempted to break into his home Sunday, according to a report Thursday from a CBS’s North Carolina affiliate.
Childress and his wife were upstairs in their North Carolina home Sunday evening when intruders broke into their home, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office told reporters. Investigators said Childress grabbed his gun and fired at the three men, but the assailants got away unscathed.
Sheriff David Grice said Childress told him “the only reason he and his wife were here today was because of God and the Second Amendment.” The “Castle Doctrine” gives citizens in the state the right to defend their homes from intruders, Grice said.
Childress, who served on the National Rifle Association‘s Board of Directors, is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those who put his family in danger.
The 72-year-old Childress won six Cup Series championships as team owner with the late Dale Earnhardt as his team lead and was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017. He could face scrutiny among some who are opposed to the so-called Castle Doctrine.
There are stipulations to the law. A threat from an intruder must be real and substantial, or at least intentional forced entry — when a person kicks down a door, for instance. But mere trespassing alone is not a justification to shoot a person, even under some forms of castle doctrine law.
Follow Chris White on Facebook and Twitter.
The Daily Caller News Foundation is working hard to balance out the biased American media. For as little as $3, you can help us. Freedom of speech isn’t free. Make a one-time donation to support the quality, independent journalism of TheDCNF. We’re not dependent on commercial or political support and we do not accept any government funding.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.